Eckington Manor Wedding Photography

For Joanna & David’s wedding day, the weather forecasts had promised all week, building up to the wedding, that we were in for a bit of a stinker. When the day finally came, they couldn’t have been more wrong! We had an absolutely glorious day for Eckington Manor Wedding Photography! We could not have been luckier… 
We started the day with Joanna where everyone was super relaxed and having a great time. This is the best way to be… You are meant to enjoy your wedding day right? I also had the pleasure to work alongside Sasha and Sassy from Sasha Brown Makeup Artist. These guys are amazing at what they do, plus…they were good fun. Always a winner! 
This was my first time photographing a wedding at Eckington Manor (near Pershore in Worcestershire) and I have to say, the staff were ever so lovely and treated me very kindly. I am afraid it cannot go without a mention, that the food was out of this world! I had beef that literally fell apart as soon as look at it and their take on the Eton Mess sent my taste buds dancing. If I were getting married, I would personally book them on the strength of this alone.
However, the grounds of Eckington Manor were stunning too. There is plenty of outdoor space for the guests to mill around and enjoy the atmosphere. It was just beautiful! Seeing as it is about 5-10 minutes from where I live down the road in Pershore, I could not love this venue more. 🙂 

About Joanna & David… 

1) Please tell me how you first met?
J – We met when we were both working at Superdrug in Worcester, I worked there for a few years before David so had to show him the ropes. We actually went to the same High School, David was in the year below me. We actually went on some of the same school trips but as he was the year below I didn’t speak to him 🙂
D – As above. 2) When was it you knew they were the one?
J – Pretty early on, I was at Uni in Lancaster at the time and David would make a lot of effort to make the relationship work despite the amount of time spent apart in the early days. Although we have next to nothing in common we have a similar outlook and attitude towards life (which is pretty laid back, aka lazy).
D – We just seemed to gel, and whilst at uni we shared lots of phone calls and texts. I remember one 10 minute phone call costing £20 in credit but it was all worth it! 3) Could you give us the story of the proposal?
J – We’d gone to Barcelona with my family for my 30th Birthday. They stayed for 4 days around my Birthday and we stayed on for a few days after.
At this point, we’d been together for almost 10 years and although we’ve always spoken about the future and getting married one day I still didn’t think he was going to propose on this trip.
Anyway, it was two days after my birthday and we spent the morning sightseeing around this old village and I had consumed rather a large quantity of sangria so was feeling a little light-headed. David was adamant we walk up Montjuic to a viewpoint that he heard about, which I did not want to do but there were escalators up to it so we did. There was no one else around, David suggested I walk over to the viewpoint where he would take a picture. When I turned around, he was on one knee proposing. I think my first response was laughter (that was the sangria) but it was very sweet and very unexpected – even though everyone else seemed to be expecting it.
D – I’d planned it for a while to coincide with Jo’s 30th. I didn’t want it to overshadow her 30th celebrations so decided I would propose after her birthday and once we were on our own.
It took a while to figure out the right place but I found a nice location that might work so after a morning of hinting and suggesting where we should go for the day we ended up near to where I wanted to be and then just as we arrived at the viewpoint everyone else seemed to disappear so it was the perfect spot.
Slightly nervous and little numb from the sangria, I asked her to walk over to the viewpoint so I could take a picture and then got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. I was greeted with laughter, and shock but a nice yes and we enjoyed the rest of the day walking around Barcelona and Jo continuously looking at the ring. 4) If you don’t mind sharing, can you tell me something quirky, funny or silly about your partner?
J & D – We may have to come back to you on that one. 5) What is your perfect day together?
J – Just relaxing somewhere with a glass of wine and some nibbles.
D – Walking and relaxing with a bit of food and drink to see out the day, preferably in Croyde. 6) Apart from the obvious, what are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
J – Calling David husband for the first time and after all the formal bits are over just kicking back and enjoying the party.
D – Seeing everyone to share the day with and then moving onto the rest of our lives together 7) What was it that inspired you to go for the theme or the decor you chose for your wedding?
J – We’ve loosely gone for a travel theme because we have done a fair amount of travelling together including 10 months travelling across Canada, New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia (with a few more stops along the way). We’ve always enjoyed going places whether that is abroad or in the UK. 
D – The 10 months we spent in each others company travelling the world 8) Please tell me one thing you wish you had known at the beginning of your wedding planning process, that you could pass on to future bride’s reading this blog?
J – Don’t feel pressured into making decisions but also don’t leave making decisions so late that it starts to stress people out.
I always leave everything to the last minute so if I was organising my wedding again I probably do everything the same again however I would probably try and stick to my guns a little more and not let others influence me (even though intentions are good).
D  – Get someone else to organise it for you, not really but friends and family are invaluable. 9) When searching, what were you were looking for in a wedding venue?
J – Something not too big with a relaxed feel to it. Originally I wanted a tipi in a field but there were so many logistical things to think about plus the Great British weather that it just wasn’t worth the risk (especially at the cost of them).
We’d seen a few venues before we saw Eckington Manor but it just ticked every box, particularly as I really wanted somewhere that family and friends could stay so the following day we could spend time with them.
D – somewhere that would make the day feel intimate and give a relaxed vibe throughout the day 10) Could you tell me the process you went through when you were looking for a wedding photographer?
J – We went to a lot of wedding fairs to get ideas then we would compare the different websites to see what we were keen on and what we weren’t.
What we liked about Duncan Cox Photography was that nothing seemed forced, just natural pictures of the day.
Neither of us is overly comfortable about being the centre of attention so photography that is as unobtrusive as it can be was what we were looking for.
D – I really liked the style of photography and wanted something that could be displayed not just to remember the day but have a story to tell in the picture.

 

Vendor List

Photography |  Duncan Cox Photography
Ceremony Location | Hallow Church
Reception Location | Eckington Manor – Pershore, Worcestershire
Florist | Floral Roundabout
Dress Designer | Modecca
Wedding Dress Retailer | Jessica Ley Brides

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